When We Reach The End
by Jessica Lauren Callaghan
Summary: Amara Riddle is a young woman caught in a war she never thought existed. A war between a mad titan who seeks to destroy them all, and a team of dis-functional heroes desperate to keep their world safe. As Amara struggles to come to terms with her powers which threaten to engulf her, a raven haired God ensnares her every thought with his offer to train her.
1. A New Power

**Chapter one**

A shiver escaped Amara as she crept through the abandoned and destroyed streets of London. Bodies littered the streets, causing Amara to close her eyes and breathe deeply. She couldn't stand the sight, but she had to keep moving.

The damage caused by the Avengers latest fight had devastated the city of London. Amara knew it was the same creatures that had attacked Manhattan. The Chitauri.

She let out a sigh of relief as she reached the only part of the city not destroyed. It was a relief to get away from the sight of death that filled the streets.

She had barely set one foot forward when she heard a growl behind her. Amara spun around, her eyes wide as she faced a Chitauri soldier advancing on her.

Amara felt her heart hammering in her chest as she back away, fear spiking in her chest. The soldier followed and raised his weapon, ready to attack as Amara backed into a wall.

She let out a scream as the Chitauri came closer, and lifted her hands to defend herself, when a green flame began to cover her hands, and shot at the soldier, causing the Chitauri to collapse to the ground, a hole in his chest.

Amara looked at her hands that were covered in a ghostly green fire, her eyes wide with shock as realization sunk in. She could barely keep her knees from giving away, and stumbled away from the sight of the soldier, her stomach beginning to become unsettled by the sight and the smell.

She heard the sound of a machine above her, and looked up to see an armoured suit land in front of her. The mask lifted and she saw the handsome face of Tony Stark.

"Hey kid? You alright?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm and gentle. The green fire faded from her shaking hands and Amara let out a sigh.

"I- I think so. But that fire, how did I do that?" She asked quietly, brushing her long black hair out of her face.

A frown crossed Tony's face and he tilted his head to the side as he looked down at the dead Chitauri soldier a few feet away from them, his deep brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"Not a clue. But I know someone who may know. Since you have this... power, you should probably get somewhere safe" Tony said firmly, his chocolate brown eyes meeting Amara's light, hazel ones.

She nodded quickly and breathed in deeply before looking at her hands, clenching them to stop them from shaking.  
"I will. But I'm not sure what that was, my power I mean." She said slowly as she turned her hands, looking to see if there were any marks from the fire.

When she looked back up, Tony was directly in front of her, and a small smile appeared.  
"Well if you want my opinion that was pretty awesome. I've never seen anything like that before" he said as he winked at her, then held out his arm.

"Come on. I'll get you somewhere safe. Our jet is close by so you can wait on there." He said. Amara hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should trust him, but quickly pushed that notion away. The man was an international icon for good, why would she not trust him?

She stepped closer and Tony held her gently before he moved, picking her up then flying up and away from the area.

As they flew, she saw the ongoing conflict much easier, although she wished she had never seen it. She turned her head so her face was buried in Tony's chest and closed her eyes, partly so she wouldn't see the fighting, and to try and distract herself from the flight.

"You ok kid?" Tony asked as they left the area of the city.

Amara nodded, her eyes still tightly shut.  
"I just don't enjoy flying very much" she said through clenched teeth. She heard Tony chuckle and opened her eyes for a second to glare at him.

"Well if you're going to be sick, don't be sick on me ok?" Tony joked, causing a small, weak smile to appear on the young womans face as she began to relax slightly.


	2. The Meeting

Amara let out a sigh as they landed beside the plane, her face pale as Tony set her down.

"Never again" she mumbled as she sent Tony a glare before breathing deeply to keep her stomach calm. Tony let out a laugh and smiled at Amara, patting her back.

"It wasn't that bad! At least the Chitauri didn't shoot at us" He said with a grin as he led her onto the plane. Amara looked around, her eyes wide in awe and a large smile crossed her face.

The plane was larger than she thought it would be. The seats were clearly meant for comfort as well as durability, and there were stairs heading up to the next level.

"Make yourself at home kid. I've got a fight to get back to" Tony said as he sent Amara a small smile before heading back out and flying into the sky.

Amara watched him fly away then turned around and slowly made her way up the stairs of the plane, looking nervous as she sat in one of the large couches around a plasma t.v.

She didn't know why but she felt exhausted. She sighed and tried to relax.  
"May as well try to sleep" she muttered to no one before closing her eyes, slowly drifting into a dreamless sleep.

When Amara woke up, she saw Tony kneeling in front of her, his hand on her shoulder as he shook her away.

"Hey kid. Sleep well?" He asked with a smile. Amara yawned and nodded slowly as she blinked and sat up, looking around at the other people in the room and her eyes widened as she saw the rest of the Avengers.

There was a silence, then the tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped forward, a small smile on his face.

"Hi. I'm Steve Rogers. I understand this must be... confusing for you" he said with an apologetic smile.

A faint blush covered the young womans face but she smiled back.  
"I'm Amara Riddle. It's nice to meet you Steve" Amara said, her eyes darting to the rest of the team. Steve nodded and followed her gaze.

"Ah yes. This is Natasha, Clint, Thor and Bruce." He said, pointing to each person in turn. Bruce and Clint offered Amara a smile, and Thor stepped forward, took Amaras hand and kissed it gently, causing the young woman to blush deeply.

Tony let out a laugh and grinned, then rolled his eyes.

"Thor careful. I saw her create green fire with that hand!" Tony said with a smirk, causing Thor to jump and his eyes to widen.

"Green flames you say? Are you sure Man of Iron?" Thor said, his voice and eyes guarded as they flicked from Amara to Tony.

Tony nodded and looked at Amara as well. The young woman shifted and bit her lip, looking worried as Thor's eyes wandered over her, as if he were carefully analysing every inch of her.

"Yeah. She put a hole through the chest of one of the soldiers. It was pretty awesome to see, and I'd love to know how she did it" Tony said, barely holding back his excited grin as he sat beside Amara.

The young woman let out a small but nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck.  
"To be truthful, I have no idea how that happened. I've never done anything like that before but I was in one of the buildings that the Chitauri destroyed with that bomb" she said, her voice quiet as she shuddered.

All eyes were on her at that point, and she visibly shrank into her seat, not used to the attention.  
"How on earth did you survive that?" Natasha asked, her eyes boring into Amaras.

"I really don't know. I was working when they blew the building up. It was like an energy blast. Any time it touched anyone they just dropped dead. When it came to me though, this green bubble, sort of a shield I guess, surrounded me" Amara explained, her voice shaking as she remembered the moment she watched each of her colleagues drop dead.

Natasha looked as if she wanted to ask a few more questions when Bruce intervened.  
"Natasha enough. The poor girl has been through a lot and I want to check her over for any injuries and do a full scan to see if there are any anomalies in her blood" Bruce said firmly. He looked at Amara and his gaze softened as he helped her up.

"Come on. Best make sure you are healthy" he said with a small smile.  
Amara gave him a thankful smile as he led her from the room, and she began to relax as the tension evaporated from the air.

"Thanks for that. I was getting nervous there" she mumbled as they walked through the corridor of the jet.

Bruce smiled and opened the door to her left, holding it open for her.  
"I could tell. You look exhausted, but I still need to check you over. Just in case you were effected by any radiation from the Chitauri weapons" he explained as Amara entered the room. She stopped when she saw the room was a medical room and looked around.

The room was occupied by six beds, all with a table beside them. There were cupboards lining the walls and a screen by each bed, clearly for privacy.

Bruce guided Amara towards one of the beds and helped her up.  
"Right, you may not enjoy this, but I have to do a full examination, including blood tests" he said slowly and Amara nodded.

Two hours later and the tests were done. Bruce was, in Amaras mind, the best, and kindest doctor she had ever met. He was clearly a naturally shy man, but was very friendly and animated when talking about a subject he was waiting for the blood test results to come back as Bruce brought over a tray.

"I wasn't sure what you liked so I got mixture of food for you" he said softly as he placed the tray in front of Amara.

She smiled appreciatively and sat up, examining the food on the plate before starting to eat. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she began to eat.

Once she had ate her fill, Bruce moved the tray and watched her carefully, his nervous gaze had relaxed and was now merely inquisitive.  
"You have never experienced this power before?" He asked, his hushed tone calm and gentle.

Amara shook her head.  
"No. This is the first time it has ever happened" she mumbled quietly as she gazed at her hands.

Bruce went to say something when a machine beeped, causing him to jump slightly. He headed over to the computer and examined the results carefully, before humming quietly and looking over his shoulder at the young woman.

"Amara? Do you know what your blood type is?" He asked, his eyes wide as he gazed at the results on the screen in front of him.

The young woman in question looked up and tilted her head to the side.

"No, I can't remember. Why?" She asked and slowly got up from the bed, making her way towards Bruce to look at the computer screen.

"Because this says you have no known blood type, your blood acts differently than anything I've ever seen. It's like a brand new blood type, absolutely remarkable." Bruce said, the amazement clear in his voice as he turned around to face her.

"I'll run some more tests on the sample, but it might be that your blood changed due to what happened" he explained and rested his hand on her shoulder as Amara let out a sigh.

"I promise it will be alright. We are all here for you" Bruce said softly and gave her a small smile. Amara smiled back and before Bruce could react, she gave him a small hug, shocking the older man and causing him to freeze.

"Thanks Bruce" she whispered before she pulled away and smiled softly. A soft blush crossed her cheeks and Bruce cleared his throat, his own face red.

"Um, yes. It's fine" he said quickly. Fortunately the pair were saved the embarrassment when Steve entered the medical room.

"Hey you two. We are about to land. You two might want to come back down so we can get inside the building. Amara, I've spoken to the Director and he wants to meet you, but for now you can stay with us" Steve explained with a smile, then tilted his head to the side in confusion as he noticed the awkward air around Bruce and Amara.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, concerned for the pair. Both Bruce and Amara nodded before following Steve towards the Bombay doors of the jet.


	3. The Home of Heroes

Amara watched out of the window as the jet landed outside if the Avengers Mansion, and breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the wheels touch the ground.

Flying was not something she enjoyed, but she could put up with it for short spaces of time. As they made their way off if the jet, Thor moved towards Amara, a small and kind smile on his face.

"Lady Amara, how are you faring? I noticed that you went quiet as we landed" Thor asked, his sky blue eyes showing his concern for the young woman.

Amara gave Thor a weak smile, feeling relieved as she felt solid ground beneath her feet.  
"I don't like flying. It terrifies me to be honest" she explained, shuddering slightly as she looked at the large jet.

Thor nodded in understanding and chuckled softly.  
"Flying is not so bad. The view from the sky is unparalleled" he said, a longing tone in his voice as he gazed up at the sky. He looked back at Amara and shook his head.

"Enough for now, we must get the fair maiden settled in" He said and opened the door to the Mansion for her.  
Amara could help the amazement that she felt as she looked around, the mansion was massive, and if the living room was anything to go by, the rooms would be massive.

The team split off, Natasha and Clint heading out back, while Bruce and Tony headed off into another room, causing Steve to wince.

"How long before they blow something up?" He asked, looking over at Thor who laughed.  
"I would say five minutes" Thor said with a grin and Steve nodded before looking over at Amara.

"Miss Riddle, I should probably show you to your room. Or would you like to explore first?" Steve asked, a gentle smile on his face.

"I think seeing my room would be best. If I explore I'll probably get lost for how big this place is." Amara said slowly, causing Steve to chuckle and nod.

"Oh I understand that. I still get lost and I've lived here for three years now" he said as he led her towards the stairs. Amara couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he said that and grinned, slowly relaxing in Steves Company.

"So, you're Captain America huh?" She asked quietly, simply making conversation. Steve nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling quietly.

"Yes I am. Although I'd prefer you did just call me Steve. The whole Captain thing is a little... Formal" he said, a faint blush covering his face as he spoke.

Amara nodded and smiled as they sunk into silence, but it was peaceful for both of them. As they passed each room, Steve made a small comment about each one, telling her what it was.

As they passed one of the rooms, an explosion was heard from inside, as well as a laugh, causing Amara to look up at Steve who let out a sigh.  
"Tony's lab. He and Bruce usually end up causing explosions a lot. Don't worry though, it isn't too dangerous" he explained to her and gave Amara a comforting smile.

As they arrived at the final door, Steve stopped and opened it, motioning for her to enter.  
"This is your room. If you want we can redecorate it. I had SHIELD put some books and a computer in while we were on the jet" Steve said softly.

"It's perfect" Amara said quietly as she traced the book spines with her fingers. She smiled and turned around to look at Steve.  
"Thanks for this. I mean, all of this. You could have just left me there or forced me off to your director" she said softly, a soft smile on her face.

Steve nodded and looked around.  
"I sort of understand how confusing this must all be for you. Pushed out of your old world into this one. It's maddening. I know because it happened to me" Steve said as he gazed out of the window.

Amara stepped forward and placed a hand on Steves arm, causing the tall man to jump.  
"Want to talk about it?" She asked. Steve looked at her in wonder before sitting on Amaras bed. Then he began to talk.

He told her everything, speaking of how he felt for the first time since he woke up. He told her about the War, the Serum. He told her about the fighting and the Red Skull, and most of all, he told her about Peggy.

Amara noticed a longing look in his eyes as Steve spoke about his past love, and she felt her heart crumbling from his story.  
"You've suffered so much Steve, and I know it isn't nearly as good as all of your old friends, but you have friends here. You and the rest of your team are like a family. They are here for you, especially for this" she whispered as she gave him a gentle hug.

Steve gave the young woman a weak smile and nodded, clearing his throat before he spoke.  
"Thanks for that. I didn't realise how badly I needed to talk about it. You are a kind woman miss Riddle" he said quietly before standing.

"I need to... to do a few things" he said, his voice strained with emotion and Amara nodded.

"My door is always open Steve. And please, call me Amara" she said as Steve smiled at her and left.

Amara lay back and stared up at the ceiling of her room, trying to wrap her mind around everything when an explosion caused her to jump then smile as she heard Tony's laugh. She closed her eyes as she thought about what had happened, then opened them again to look at her hand.

She concentrated hard, willing a flame to appear, and soon enough, a small green flame flickered to life in the palm of her hand. Her eyes widened and she touched the flame with her other hand, feeling nothing but a bone cold chill that the ghostly flame gave off.

She closed her hand into a fist, extinguishing the flame before letting her head fall back on the pillow with a sigh. She could barely comprehend what was happening, and how she was acting so calm about it, but she was a survivor, she could survive and adapt to this new world she belonged to.

Because if she didn't, she wouldn't survive another week.


	4. A God and His Hammer

All Amara had intended to do was sleep. She remembered everything that had happened, and should have realised that not even trying to sleep would stop strange things from happening, and soon enough, she found herself outside.

But her luck became even worse when she heard Thor shout, and turned to see his hammer flying towards her. Her eyes widened and she threw herself to the ground, then she felt the hammer fly above her and straight through where she had just stood.

"Lady Amara! Are you alright?" Thor asked as he ran towards her, the worry clear in his eyes.

"I have not harmed you have I?" he asked, his voice more gentle this time as he helped the young woman sit up, and surprising Amara with his gentleness.

"I'm alright Thor. I just have no clue how I got here" she said with a groan as she rubbed her forehead before looking up at the golden haired god.

"Well you appeared out of nowhere, and I believe that it is linked to your ability to control that flame. I was worried when I saw you appear as it thought Mjolnir would have hit you" Thor explained as he looked Amara over, clearly examining her.

Amara sighed and rested her head in her hands, feeling overwhelmed by what was happening to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up slightly to see Thor smiling softly at her.

"Do not worry Lady Amara. We are all here to help you, no matter what. I promise I shall do all I can to help you with these abilities. However I must inform you, of all I have seen in my time in these realms, there has only been one person I have ever seen who has had powers like yours" Thor said, his voice becoming grave and his eyes turned darker slightly as the sky began to rumble.

Amara looked around as the thunder clapped through the sky and a light drizzle began, landing around them, but not touching them. The dark look in Thors eyes caused a nervous feeling to travel through Amara. The look of pain and grief in his eyes was heart breaking, and Amara knew that the person must have been close to him.

"Would they be able to help me control my powers" She asked quietly as she bit her lip. The look of grief in Thors eyes increased and he let out a small sigh.

"I am afraid that the person would most likely offer you a deal that would help him rather than you, and I doubt my father would allow anyone to see him, as he is currently in Asgardian prison. "He said slowly, his eyes looking up at the now dark and cloudy sky as the thunder rang through.

"W- Who is this person" Amara asked hesitantly, her eyes never leaving Thors face as she watched the shift of expressions on his face.

"My brother. Loki" Thor said with a soft growl, causing Amaras eyes to widen and her face to pale. She had heard of Loki. Almost everyone knew he had led the Chitauri in the Battle of Manhattan, and many people would do anything to get their hands on him.

"So, if I want help with my powers, I have to try to get your brother to help me?" Amara said slowly, hardly believing what she was hearing. Thor let out a sigh and nodded, then looked down. The rain was becoming heavier, and the thunder was much louder than before.

"I am afraid so. But I doubt he will help you at all, as he is a trickster, and would only use you to escape" Thor said. "Come, we should return inside to discuss this new ability of yours with the others" He said as he helped her up and led her inside. The rain didn't touch them once, but they had to tread through the soaking wet grass and mud. They entered the house through the kitchen, and heard Clint shouting.

"She is a danger while she is here! Her powers are exactly like his, and she just happens to appear during the Chitauri attack?" Clint growled as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Bruce, who was standing his own ground.

Bruce let out a low growl and stepped towards Clint.

"That girl has suffered enough today. Don't you dare talk about her like that. Yes, her blood matches his for the magic, but she is a completely different person. She shows no signs of being controlled like others did. She is just a young girl who has been put in a terrifying situation" Bruce growled, his eyes flashing green as he glared at Clint who stepped up to meet the challenge, clearly not fazed by the danger.

"Go ahead Banner. Let your anger out and we'll see if she will still want to be in your company" Clint said in a low voice. It was Tony's quick reactions that stopped Bruce from changing into the Hulk then and there. He stepped between the pair and pushed them both back.

"Enough. Both of you need to cool off. Bruce, panic room now. And Clint?" Tony said as he turned to face the archer who was glaring at Bruce as he left. Clint shifted his gaze onto Tony, then landed on his back as the billionaire sent him sprawling to the floor with a punch to the gut.

"Bruce is right. Amara is an innocent kid. Leave her alone, and if I hear of you even bothering her, I won't mind throwing you out of this mansion myself" Tony growled then turned, stopping when he saw Amara staring wide eyes at the scene in front of her. Tony's jaw clenched then he looked back down at Clint, who stood and walked briskly out of the room, barging past both Thor and Amara, and nearly sending the poor girl to the floor.

"Ignore him kid. He is still a little uneasy around magic ever since Loki took control of his mind" Tony said quietly as he walked towards Amara. The young woman nodded and stared at Clint's retreating form before letting out a sigh.

"What did he mean, magic? Is that what my powers are?" Amara asked as she looked up at Tony.

"We aren't sure kid. But I promise we will help you with this. Now how the hell did you end up outside? I'm sure I saw Steve taking you to your room" Tony asked as he walked around the bar and poured himself a drink.

Amara let out a soft sigh and looked up at Thor who nodded encouragingly.  
"I can teleport" she said softly, causing the people still in the room to freeze and look up at her with shock.

Steve looked over at Natasha who let out a sigh of her own.  
"Think you can show us?" She asked, her voice for once sounding strained as she watched the younger woman.

Amara gulped and blushed as everyone's gaze was fixed on her. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, focusing on trying to move and felt a thread of power stir inside of her.

She felt herself move, however it was gentle, as if she was being pushed to the location gently. She heard a gasp and opened her eyes, looking up at Tony who was now in front of her. She looked around to find herself behind the bar as well and gave him a small smile.

"That was awesome kid. You pretty much faded away, then a black cloud appeared and you formed from it here!" Tony said with a grin as he patted Amaras shoulder.

Amara blushed and rubbed the back of her neck.  
"Umm thanks?" She said, tilting her head to the side as she let out a nervous laugh. She wasn't used to the attention being focused on her and she wasn't sure she liked it.

Tony held out a glass to the young woman who looked up at the man who was smirking at her.  
"You seem like you could use a strong drink. You are old enough to drink right?" Tony asked, pulling the glass back slightly.

"I'm twenty two Tony. I am old enough to drink" Amara said as she took the glass from him, examining the contents. Tony nodded and placed his arm around her shoulders, leading the young woman towards the couch.

"Now sit and drink kid, you've had a hard time and could do with relaxing" Tony said as they both sat down. Amara drank slowly, her throat burning as the fiery liquid slid down her throat.  
Steve and Natasha were talking lowly, Natasha's eyes flicking over to Amara and Tony who were talking quietly.

"He seems pretty... protective, of her" Natasha murmured quietly as she looked back to Steve and Thor.

"Well, he did find her after she took out that Soldier. He said she looked terrified about it. Poor girl needs someone to talk to, and Tony, while he is a bit eccentric, is perfect for her to talk to" Steve said lowly as he smiled.

Amara smiled softly as she looked around, feeling safe and not worried or scared for the first time that day. She looked over at Thor, Natasha and Steve who all sent the young woman a smile.


	5. The Archers Anger

Amara had slept peacefully for the first time in days. There were no noises of fighting, no worry of Chitauri invading the area. When she woke, her first thought was what would happen to her now, and would she discover anything new about her powers.

She remembered one of the Avengers saying something about her powers being 'magic'. She almost scoffed at the idea. The very thought of magic defied all logic. Then she remembered that aliens were attacking the planet, and the existence of magic seemed more real.

She sat up and looked around before letting out a yawn. She stood and looked at her clock, letting out a sigh as she saw it said 6:30 am.

She changed into the clothes that SHIELD had gotten for her, examining the green jumper and blue denim jeans carefully before sliding them on, surprised at how they were a good fit. She was quite worried at how the clothes seemed to fit perfectly, especially since she hadn't met anyone from SHIELD.

She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen then looked around as she put the kettle onto boil and made herself a cup of tea.

She shivered and pulled at the sleeves of her jumper as she slowly drank her tea, looking out of the window at the early morning sun. The light draped lazily across the yard outside, illuminating a lone figure standing at an archery range.

Amara opened the door quietly, heading towards the range. She realized that the man standing at the range was Clint. She felt a nervous jump in her stomach as she watched him raise his bow and aim it at the target.

She watched as he drew back the arrow, and he breathed in before releasing the arrow and it flew towards the target, hitting dead centre.

"I know you're there" Clint said quietly as he lowered his bow, causing Amara to jump but move closer.

"Sorry. I just, I saw you out here and I was curious" she mumbled as she looked down. She had no idea why but this man made her nervous. Maybe it was because of what he had said the day before, but she wasn't sure she was happy being alone with him.

"Its fine I guess. Just keep away understand? I don't need any of your magic getting in the way" Clint growled, saying the word 'magic' with distaste. Amara flinched at the hatefulness in his words, and gulped nervously.

"What's so wrong with magic?" She asked timidly, and she soon wished she hadn't asked.

Clint turned in her, his eyes full of anger.  
"Because it is unnatural. The way you can control people is disgusting and it is crazy. You can take a person's free will, forcing them to do who knows what, then make them live with that knowledge the rest of their lives and that is just plain wrong" he growled and crossed his arms.

Amara flinched again and moved back, shrinking into herself as Clint spoke. She looked down at her hands, staying quiet as he spoke.

"You can't judge a group by one person's actions. I know someone hurt you with magic, but you can't fear and hate the rest of us. We aren't all like that and I wouldn't do that." She whispered, causing Clint to send her a glare and move back to the archery range.

"Whatever. Just leave me alone and I'll leave you alone" he said sharply as he aimed at the target again. Amara couldn't help the scowl that appeared on her face and she rolled her eyes.

"You know. You seemed a lot nicer before you knew about my powers" She muttered before heading back towards the house. She shut the door behind her and shivered softly picking up her cup of tea again and sipped it gently as she made her way to the living room. She hummed quietly and looked at the books on the shelves

She smiled as she saw the different books kept on the shelves. She let out a happy sigh and took one of the books, then sat on the couch and opened the book, already engrossed in her favourite novel.

It was only when she heard the sound of feet heading in her direction that she looked up from her book to see Steve entering the room, a tired smile on his face when he saw her.

"Hey Amara. Sleep well?" Steve asked as he yawned. Amara returned the smile and watched him as he sat.

"Yes I slept well. What about you? She asked as she placed her book beside her. Steve shrugged before sitting down, a small smile on his face.

"I slept alright. What are you doing up so early anyway?" He asked as he failed to suppress a yawn, causing Amara to laugh softly.

"Woke up and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came down for a cup of tea then met the resident archer who seems to absolutely hate me" she said, her voice taking on an angry hint at the end.

Steve shook his head and let out a sigh, then placed a hand on the young womans shoulder.  
"I'll talk to Clint. He went through a lot with Loki controlling him and hadn't gotten over it. However he shouldn't be taking it out on you. I'll deal with him later" Steve said quietly before blushing as his stomach growled loudly.

"Come on. Let's get something to eat while we wait for the others" Amara said with a laugh as she stood. Steve chuckled and stood as well, then headed towards the kitchen.

The moment they arrived, he began hunting through the cupboards for food, and a triumphant shout let Amara know Steve had found what he was after.

Amara stood to help, and the pair began to work on making the breakfast for the rest of the team, who, one by one, were lured from their rooms by the smell of food.

"Something smells really nice" Tony said as he walked into the kitchen, his signature smirk in place as he looked at the food that was waiting to be eaten.

"That would be Amaras cooking." Steve said with a smile as the young woman blushed slightly.  
"You cooked too!" She said as she pointed her fork at the Star Spangled Man, before impaling another pancake with the same utensil.

Tony grinned and sat down, then began to eat quickly.  
"Damn, this tastes awesome! Amara, how would you like a job here cooking?" Tony said as he gazed at the young woman.

"I rarely cook so I'll have to turn the offer down, but thanks any ways" she said, sending the older man a wink. The conversation continued between the team, and it was only a comment that Clint made to Natasha in Norwegian that caused Amara to glare at him.

"Hvordan vet de at hun ikke har satt en spell på mat? Hun kunne ha forgiftet oss, og de er bare å sitte og spise uten omsorg i verden" Clint growled as he glared at the food in front of him.

"You know Clint, while the rest of the Avengers can't understand a word you just said, I can. And if you have a problem with the food, just don't eat it" she said coolly, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the archer.

For Clint, it seemed to be too much, and he stood, his eyes fixed on the young woman.  
"My problem isn't with the food, it's with you. How is it that when we are fighting the Chitauri, you just happen to appear and your powers just 'happen' to manifest then? For all we know you could be a spy for Loki!" He growled, causing the all friendly talk to fade away, and the entire table to fall silent.

Amara simply shook her head and stood as well, before pulling a necklace from around her neck, the pendant that dangled clearly showing a design that caused Thor to gasp.

"I'm not a spy for Loki, however my religion is of the old ways, and the one I picked as my patron God was Loki. That does not make me his spy, simply someone who looks up to him in times of trouble." She growled. Everyone stayed silent and watched as Amara turned on heel and left the room.

Back in the kitchen, Clint shook his head, his eyes narrowed.  
"See what I mean? What sane minded person would worship 'him' as a God?" He said with a huff in his voice.

"My brother was worshipped by many young men and women, whom believed understand his path of chaos and mischief. While the rest of us boasted stories of our adventures to the ancient Norse people, Loki gathered his small group of followers, and taught them tricks, showed them how to use magic and how to control it. However, he took precautions so only those who were truly his followers could wield his magic. I now believe I know where Amaras powers originate from" Thor said slowly, causing everyone in the room to turn to him.

"Thor, are you saying that the powers Amara has, could possibly be because Loki gave someone powers years back and they passed down through her family?" Bruce asked incredulously. Thor nodded and gave Bruce a grave look.

"That is exactly what I am saying Dr. Banner, and if I am correct, Loki is the only one who can teach her to tame her powers" Thor said, his voice grave and slow as each team member thought about what this meant.


	6. Training with a Soldier and and Assassin

Amara sighed as she looked at the pendant in her hand, her mind reeling from the argument. She couldn't understand why he thought her a spy, although showing her beliefs wouldn't have helped her much.

She rubbed her forehead and looked up as she heard a knock on the door.  
"Come in" she said softly, and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Natasha open the door.

"Hello Amara" the red haired assassin said slowly as she entered the room. Amara watched as Natasha sat beside her, cautious of what the older woman wanted.

"Look. Clint was wrong to say those things, and since you're stuck with us for a while, I don't want there to be an awkward air between us. You need training, you need to know how to protect yourself so here's what I'm offering. I'll teach you, as long as you avoid Clint. Deal?" Natasha said, her voice revealing no emotions.

Amara thought for a moment. She knew she needed the training. She couldn't rely on everyone else to protect her. She looked at the pendant in her hand and a soft sigh escaped her lips. She looked up at Natasha, her eyes filled with a determination that surprised the assassin.

"I think I can do that" Amara said quietly. She looked over to the window for a moment before looking back at Natasha and gave the older woman a smile.  
"You have a deal Agent Romanoff." Amara said and nodded. Natasha gave the young girl a rare smile before patting her shoulder.

"Just call me Natasha. Oh and by the way, training starts in twenty minutes. Meet me in the training room, Jarvis will show you the way" Natasha said as she stood. She made her way to the door then stopped, and turned to face Amara.

"Just give Clint time. He is still recovering from what happened with Loki" she said before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Amara sat still for a moment, unsure of how to react to what had just happened.

As she dressed, she thought over what Natasha had said. She was more than happy to avoid Clint. As she made her way towards the training room, her mind turned to Loki. He seemed to be centred around so much of what was happening.

As she entered the training room, she saw Natasha waiting by the punching bags, her arms crossed as she spoke to Steve who looked unsure and nervous.

The moment she entered the training room, the pair looked over at her, and Steve gave the young girl a smile,  
"Hey Amara. You ready for your training?" Steve asked, a nervous hint to his voice. Amara smiled and nodded, looking around at the training room. There was a running track that went around the room, and all exercise equipment was placed in the middle of the room.

As Natasha and Steve began to explain the basics of self defence, Amara began to realise that the training would involve more than just staying she learned how to control her powers, she needed a way to defend herself that wouldn't endanger the lives of those around her.

As the session went on, Amara began to favour Steve as her teacher. While Natasha knew what she was talking about, she was terrifying when she began to show the young woman how to fight. Steve had more of a relaxed approach to his teaching. He was kinder and spoke slowly, allowing Amara to ask any questions and adjusting her stance when she finally moved onto the punching bag.

"Amara. You aren't punching correctly. The way you have your fist is most likely going to break your hand than hurt the enemy, curl your fist like this as you punch, that way, you don't injure yourself, and it deals more damage" Steve explained as he demonstrated what he was saying. Amara nodded slowly, she watched carefully before trying the move for herself, and a smile crossed her face as Steve and Natasha nodded in approval.

Three hours later, Steve led Amara to the kitchen, stating that she needed to eat to keep her energy up. As they arrived, they saw a large blue flash outside, causing Amara to jump.

"Don't worry Amara. That was just Thor leaving for Asgard. He is going to see if he can find anything that could help you." Steve explained quietly, relaxing the young woman before he began to make them lunch. Steve, it seemed, was very talkative when he was cooking, telling her of his time during World War Two, and the missions he went on with his friends.

Amara noticed the sad look in Steves eyes as he spoke of his friends, and she placed a reassuring hand on his arm.  
"Steve, it must be so hard for you. Waking up in this time and everyone you knew is gone. So much has changed since then. How did you cope with it all?" She asked softly. Steve looked at her and a small smile appeared on his face.

"I simply think of the friends I have today. And how I am needed now. Yes I miss them all, but dwelling on the past isn't good. I need to be focused, and I let go of my grief and guilt a long time ago as I realised Peggy would have given me an earful had she seen the way I was moping around back then" Steve said with a chuckle, causing Amara to laugh as well.

The pair ate in silence, Amaras eyes wandering outside every so often where it had begun to rain. The pair were alone in the kitchen for a while before Tony and Bruce came in, both talking quickly.

"I'm telling you Brucie. Her powers will keep expanding. From what the camera in the training room showed, Amara has natural battle reflexes. She needs a proper teacher, someone to show her how to use and control her magic" Tony explained to Bruce who had a thoughtful look on his face before he saw Amara and Steve.

Amara simply smiled at Bruce, not bothered that they were talking about her.  
"Hi guys. Want some lunch?" She asked, pushing a plate of sandwiches towards them. Tony grinned and sat beside the young woman, helping himself to a sandwich.

"Kid are you sure you don't want that cooking job? I'll pay you anything!" he said as he bit into a sandwich. Amara let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Oh by the way, you did pretty awesome when you were training with Natasha and Steve. Although you might also want to try using your powers while you are training. You need to start trying to control them" Tony said as he took a bite from his sandwich. Amara gave Tony a small smile and nodded, then looked over at Bruce who seemed deep in thought.

"Bruce? Are you alright?" She asked quietly, causing the shy and quiet man to look up from the table, his face creased with a frown.  
"Yes. I'm just trying to think of who could teach you magic, but the only person I can think of is not a really nice person" Bruce said slowly causing both Steve and Tony to stiffen. Amara looked at the three men and her eyes darkened slightly.

"Let me guess. My only option is Loki?" she asked quietly as her gaze switched from each man. She breathed in deeply and rested her head in her hands for a moment before looking up again.

"Well, looks like I will just have to put up with him. If Thor can bring him here that is" she muttered quietly as she looked down at her sandwich, her appetite gone.


	7. The Allfather

Thor walked through the halls of Asgard briskly, his eyes narrowed as he passed servants and guards. He was too deep in thought to notice them. It was a lone voice that stirred him from his thoughts, Thor looked up and smiled as he saw his mother walking towards him.

"Mother, how do you fare?" He asked as he hugged her gently, his voice softer than usual. Frigga gave her son a small smile as she looked up at her son, her eyes examining him carefully.

"You have been busy, my son. I sense the weariness on you. Come, you should rest and eat, you look far too skinny" Frigga said sternly, causing Thor to roll his eyes and sigh in indignation as his shoulders slouched slightly.

"Mother I am not a child. And there are more important things happening lately than feasting and sleeping. My team has found a woman, who has powers like Lokis. She only recently discovered them as the Chitauri attacked, and I saw them first hand when she accidentally teleported in front of me while I was training" He explained, a frown taking the place of his smile.

At the mention of Lokis name, a pained look filled Friggas eyes and she looked down for a moment before looking back up at her eldest son.

"Then we need to find her some help. I remember how much trouble your brother got into with his powers when he was young, she will need all the help she can get to control them" Frigga said slowly to keep her voice from shaking. Thinking of her lost son pained her greatly, and talking of him was even worse.

The day Loki had been brought back to Asgard, Frigga had felt as if she had lost part of herself. She couldn't stand the look of utter hatred she had seen on her young sons face as he had waited for his sentence to be given. She still visited Loki, but he never spoke. He simply sat and listened, not saying a word, not looking up to meet her gaze. Nothing. It was as if he didn't even care about his fate, anything or anyone.

Thor gave his mother a sad smile, wishing he could do something to help bring his family back together.  
"I think she could help him mother. She is one of his followers, and I believe she would be good for him. Amara is a wonderful woman, but she is young and inexperienced, she needs his help, and in return, she may be able to help him become the man he once was" Thor whispered, his eyes full of hope.

Frigga looked up at her eldest son, and felt her sadness drain away at the look of hope in her sons eyes. She did not speak, she merely smiled and led him towards the throne room, her heart beating rapidly at the thought of her youngest son becoming the quiet yet mischievous man he used to be again.

As the pair entered the throne room, they saw Odin standing around the table with his advisors, looking deep in thought.  
As they stepped forward, Odin looked up and gave his wife a small smile before dismissing his advisors and turning his gaze upon his son.

"My son, what is it that you seek?" Odin asked calmly, his voice holding no emotion. Thor looked over at his mother, who sent him an encouraging smile which gave Thor the strength he needed to speak.

"Father. I request that Loki be freed to help my team on Midgard. We have found a young woman who needs his guidance in magic" he said slowly. He knew this was risky to ask, but there was no other option. Amara needed to control her powers, and Loki was the only one who could teach her.

"Then tell me, my son. If Loki escaped, and wreaked havoc upon Midgard once more, would you be willing to do anything to stop him?" Odin asked, his voice stern. He had made many mistakes in his time, and he did not want to upset the delicate relations between Asgard and Midgard any further.

Thors jaw clenched and he nodded briskly. It pained him to think about what his father was implying, but he needed to be wary of Loki and what he could do.  
"Yes father I am. Lady Amara needs the help, and to be truthful, as do we. Loki knows the Chitauri better than any of us, he could provide useful information for us that would help us stop the Chitauri" Thor said, his eyes focusing on the table in front of him.

Odin thought for a moment before nodding.

"Very well. But some precautions must be taken, he shall not be allowed to leave your home on Midgard without being escorted by one of your team, and his powers shall be disabled any time he leaves that premises in which you and your team reside." He said sternly, and Thor let out a sigh of relief. He had expected an argument, and for his father to not allow Loki to leave.

"Thank you father, I shall go and speak to Loki immediately and tell him to ready himself to leave" Thor said before he left the room, heading towards the dungeons for the first time since Loki had been imprisoned there.


	8. The God of Mischief

Loki let out a sigh as he flipped through the pages of the book in his hands, his emerald eyes filled with disinterest and boredom. He had been locked in the prison for what seemed a millennia, and he had slowly felt what sanity he had left leaving him.

Odin had refused anyone the right to visit Loki, and the loneliness was slowly driving him insane. Of course, Frigga often visited without the Allfather knowing, bringing food that she knew he was fond of, new books that she thought would peak his interest, and informing him of what was happening in Asgard and the other realms. If he were to be quite honest, his mothers' visits were the one thing that he looked forward to during his miserable prison sentence.

She had never judged him, never spoke of what had happened on Midgard. She simply sat beside the fallen god, and allowed her mothering nature to shine through. It was probably because of Frigga that he was still at least partly sane. It warmed the raven haired mans heart that she still cared for him, even after everything he had done.

He heard the bang of the doors opening and sat up straight, his eyes widening as he heard the sound of heavy feet outside his cell, and let out a low growl as he realised whom the noise came from. He recognised the booming voice that echoed through the halls, and immediately sat up straighter.

The door to his cell opened and he saw Thor standing there, a large smile on his face.  
"Brother! I bring you good news. Father has agreed to release you" Thor said.

"And what does Your Father want in return? My unwavering loyalty? A collar around my neck so he may keep control of his Frost Giant trophy?" Loki rasped, his throat dry and sore from months without use, as even when his mother visited, he never spoke. Thors expression hardened and he stepped closer, sitting beside the man he called brother.

"No, and Father would never do that. He cares for you, even if you do not see it. It is I that requires your assistance. There is a woman on Midgard, with powers similar to your own, and she needs help to control them" Thor said as Loki reached for a glass of water, drinking from it slowly, one of his eyebrows raising as Thor spoke.

"And why would I help a lowly Midgardian?" Loki asked as he lowered the glass from his lips, a small smirk appearing on the younger gods face as he watched the Thunderer carefully.

Thor let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, sending Loki a small glare before responding.

"She is one of your followers. I believe she is descended from those you gifted with magic many centuries ago" he explained, causing Loki to freeze. He remembered gifting mortals with powers similar to his own, however he did not think those powers would have passed down through their families.

"Then, it appears I have someone to take care of, does it not 'brother'?" Loki said, spitting out the word brother as if it were poison. Thor winced at the malice in Lokis voice but nodded, it was better than Loki not speaking to him at all, meaning they were making progress.

"Then come. Lady Amara requires your help, and you need to dress properly before you leave" Thor said as he stood, waiting for Loki as he stood slowly.

Loki watched Thor for a moment as he rose. He did not sense any trickery from the blonde haired oaf, and Thor could most certainly be annoying at times but for once, he was right. Loki needed to change his attire and bathe before he would be going anywhere.

Amara let out a sigh as she sat on the table, looking out the window as Bruce ran yet more tests on her. She noticed how the sky began to grow dark, and a low rumble echoed through the house. She let out a soft gasp as a cone of blue light shot down from the sky, almost blinding her as she watched. When the light faded, and her eyes had returned to normal, she was able to see two figures standing where the light had just been.

One was clearly Thor, his deep red cape making him easy to identify. The person beside him, however, caused Amara to gasp quietly. She could see a green cape rippling in the breeze, then the man that the cape was attached to looked up, as if he sensed her gaze and caught her eyes. His emerald green eyes ensnaring her very senses, leaving her incapable of looking away.

Loki watched the young woman, and felt a small shudder pass through him. He let out a low growl, his eyes flashing intensely as he watched her. He was unable to look away from this young woman, and that intrigued him more than anything. Even from this distance, he could feel the magic coiling around her, untamed and wild, coiled around her, waiting for a moment to break free. He would have made his way towards her there and then to confront the young enchantress, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from taking another step forward.

"Brother, what is wrong?" Thor asked, his voice filled with concern, causing Loki to tear his gaze away from the woman at the window and turn it upon his brother. The intensity Lokis gaze caused Thor to step back involuntarily.

"Everything is fine Thor" Loki murmured before turning his gaze back to the window, only to discover that the maiden had disappeared, leaving him wondering just who he was dealing with. He stepped into the manor, and stumbled slightly as he felt a barrier of magic surround his own, letting out an involuntary hiss as he felt his magic fight against the barrier.

"I am sorry brother, I should have warned you. Father placed a spell on you so that you cannot leave without one of us being with you, and you cannot use your powers outside of this property" Thor said with an apologetic smile on his face.

Loki growled quietly before straightening up and continuing towards the sound of voices. It was clear that they were expected, and the Avengers were all gathered in the living room, and all went quiet as Loki and Thor entered.

They may have had their gaze on him, but Loki didn't even notice. He was entranced by the gaze of the young woman sitting beside the super soldier. Their eyes met, and Loki could barely hold in a gasp as he saw her. The magic was much easier to identify now, and the swirling green aura around the young woman responded to Loki appearing in the room. It sparked towards him, causing Amara to wince slightly, and Loki to smile.

No one, other than Loki, saw what transpired. They only saw the God who they had defeated not long before.

Amara turned red under Lokis gaze, and was just as entranced by the raven haired god as he was by her. She gulped and stood slowly, not really sure what she was doing until she was stood in front of the god that had tried to take over their world.

Loki let out a quiet sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them and giving the young woman a smirk.  
"So you are the woman who wishes to be trained by the God of Mischief?" Loki asked, his voice silky and deep. Amara gulped and nodded slowly, not trusting her voice.

Lokis voice sent a shiver up Amaras spine, and she felt like her knees were going to give way from his smooth accent. She barely managed to compose herself before Loki took her hand without warning, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"I can sense the fire inside of you, hidden away. Teaching you my tricks will certainly be fun" Loki whispered, his eyes burning intensely with an unknown emotion. Amara blushed deeper than before, unable to move from her current position. Loki let out a gentle laugh before looking up at the rest of the Avengers, whose looks ranged from curiosity to disgust.

"Lady Amara and I need somewhere private so I may teach her without being disturbed, is there such a room in here?" Loki asked, his voice bored as he gazed at each person in the room.

"I guess the bunker downstairs could work. It's secure and private. It will stop anything that you two do from killing the rest of us" Tony said nonchalantly as he watched Amara with interest. Her reaction to Loki confused him, but left him wondering if there was something that the rest of them had missed.

The smirk that appeared on Lokis face unnerved Tony and caused the hairs on the billionaires' arms to stand up.  
"Then please Mr. Stark. Lead the way" Loki said coolly, his voice smooth and cold. Tony nodded and slowly moved, leading Loki and a clearly confused Amara towards the bunker, already wishing there was an alternative option they could have chosen.


	9. Friend or Foe?

As they arrived at the bunker, Amara watched as Loki inspected each part of the room. It wasn't long before the fallen god turned around and nodded to Tony.

"This shall suffice. You may now leave us" Loki said, his voice commanding all authority. Tony wasn't exactly pleased to be ordered about, and his gaze lingered on Amara for a few seconds before he turned to go.

Once the billionaire had left the room, Loki finally turned his gaze to Amara. She flinched under his harsh gaze as he examined her. She let out an involuntary shudder, she was not used to someone watching her in such a way.

"Well now Lady Amara. You aren't what you seem are you? Come. I want you to demonstrate your powers to me" Loki said firmly, and Amara moved obediently without thinking. The gods' voice commanded such authority that she automatically did as she was told.

She looked at Loki for a moment, who gave her an encouraging nod, then closed her eyes and focused on conjuring the fire she had created earlier. She felt the strain as her power tried to take control and a gasp escaped her as she collapsed to the floor, a thin sheen of sweat covering her face.

Loki didn't move to help her, he simply stood and watched.

"You concentrate too hard. You must learn to relax or your powers will consume, and possibly kill you" Loki scolded, causing the young woman to flush with embarrassment before she stood slowly, and try again. Amara closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, relaxing as much as possible and soon, she felt a warmth lapping at her fingers.

When she opened her eyes, she saw an unnatural green flame dancing on her hand, the flame licking across her fingers, but leaving no pain. Loki didn't say a word, and simply watched the young girl, examining how the fire had been created. Amara blushed slightly under the gods gaze before letting the fire go out.

She breathed in and looked around the room, choosing a spot before closing her eyes and willing herself to teleport to that spot.

Unfortunately, this power was harder to control, and she ended up five feet in the air directly above where she had intended, then fell to the floor as gravity took effect. Loki let out a sigh and narrowed his eyes, unsure of how to teach this woman.

"You concentrate too hard when you teleport. It should be as natural as breathing. Focus carefully on the location before teleporting. Remember to relax and breathe, otherwise you will tumble to the floor, and in battle, that is not good at all" Loki instructed, his voice firm yet gentle at the same time.

Amara nodded and stood slowly, still not trusting her voice. She closed her eyes again, focusing on what Loki had told her before trying again.

It took three more attempts before she was landing with barely a wobble, and it seemed that, to Loki anyway, that would do.

"Now, your control over this fire is far too tense. You must relax if you wish to control the fire. It is an extension of your own body. You must use your natural grace to help control it. Fire is not something that requires force to control, simply delicate nudges every so often." Loki explained as he stepped towards the young woman, repositioning her body to the correct stance.

"Balance your weight, otherwise anything could knock you over" Loki murmured, causing Amara to freeze as she realised just how close the dark haired god was.

She breathed in, trying to focus on Loki's words, and conjured a flame. She could feel herself tensing up immediately, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"You must relax" Loki said firmly. Amara let out a soft huff before trying to relax. The flame automatically responded, and became larger, yet more controlled. The fire responded to each movement that she made, following her gracefully as she bent it to her will.

She did not know how much time had passed when Loki told her enough, but she guessed they had been at work for at least an hour. She felt exhausted from the drain her powers caused her after such a significant use.

"The more you use your powers, the longer it will take for them to tire you out" Loki explained as he handed her a drink. Amara looked at the cup carefully, her eyes betraying her caution.

"Very good. Be cautious of those who offer you food or drink, as you do not know what they have put into it" Loki said before vanishing the cup, a small smirk on his face. Most would have drank from the cup, having been lulled into a sense of safety around him. The woman clearly had the ability to remember who people were, even if they were kind to her for a short while.

"Did you put something in that drink?" Amara asked curiously, causing Loki to raise an eyebrow. She had kept silent throughout their training, and it was only now she had worked up the courage to speak to the raven haired man.

"The cup contained a liquid that would have knocked you out for several hours, however your carefulness would have saved you in that situation. You must always be cautious, and never trust any food or drink you are given. As a sorceress, there are many potions that could render your powers useless for a length of time. Since you are young, your powers can be effected by these potions easily." Loki explained as he led the young woman back upstairs and to the kitchen.

"After each training session you must eat and drink to regain your strength. If you do not, you will be weaker, as you used most of your energy while training" The raven haired god said as he sat down.

Amara nodded before hunting through the cupboards for food. When she finally sat at the table, she had a sandwich and a glass of water, which were gone within five minutes. She had not noticed how famished she was.

She noticed how Loki watched her with an intense gaze, and the young woman looked away. Loki found the girl strange. Her grasp on her powers was large, and she clearly had a thirst for knowledge. Both were quiet for a while as Loki sized up Amara, thinking of ways that she could be trained.

He leaned back in his chair as he thought. While he was forced to be here, it did not mean that he wouldn't take advantage of being free. He would find a way to escape, and he hoped to take the young mortal woman who shared his abilities with him. Amara had a childlike innocence about her that made Loki interested. If he could bend her mind in the training sessions, then she would join him. But for now, he would wait, and be patient.


	10. Never Trust Anyone

Tony watched the footage of Amara training again, his brow furrowing as the video played. He didn't like the God that had thrown him out of a window being in his house. Hell, two years earlier he had never believed in any God, yet now there were two sitting in his house.

He let out a soft sigh and rested his head in his hands. He wished he could help Amara, but all he could do was sit back and watch as a man they couldn't trust was left in a room alone with the young woman. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear someone approaching, and jumped when he felt hands on his shoulders.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Pepper said softly, causing Tony to relax as he turned his chair and looked up at the woman he loved.

"I'm worried Pep. Loki is dangerous, but we left Amara alone with him. What if he does something to her?" Tony whispered. Pepper pressed a gentle kiss to her boyfriend's forehead and gave him a gentle smile.

"You care about her don't you? Is Tony Stark finally admitting he has a heart?" Pepper said with a small smirk. She ran her hands through his hair and stroked his cheek gently, wishing she could help.

"From what you told me over the phone she is a strong girl. She will be fine. Anyway, I think it's time I met her." Pepper said with a thoughtful look appearing on her face. Tony grumbled and stood slowly, pulling the woman in front of him into his arms. He nuzzled her neck gently and smiled.

"Before you do, I think I need some help with something" he purred quietly, causing a light blush to cover Peppers face. She rolled her eyes but smiled and kissed him gently as Tony pulled her towards their room.

As Amara looked out of the window in her room, she began to think back to her training with Loki. As much as it confused her, Loki turned out to be a brilliant teacher, one whom understood the needs of his student, and taught in a way they would understand. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. She had managed to control her powers slightly, but it wasn't enough for the raven haired God. He wanted her to meditate before she went to bed.

She moved over to her bed and sat down, her legs crossed and closed her eyes, trying to force herself to relax. The god had told her that meditating every night was key to keeping her powers calm and from flaring out when she was emotional.

"You aren't relaxing" A voice purred from the other side of the room, causing Amara to open her eyes and jump up from her bed, a pillow in her hands. A laugh caught her off guard and she looked over to see Loki lounged back in the chair.

"Loki. What are you doing in here?" Amara asked, the annoyance clear in her voice as she lowered the pillow. Loki smirked and eyes the pillow carefully before looking back up at the young woman.

"I told you to relax, and you seemed to be struggling. I thought I could help" He said as he shrugged. Amara let out a growl before sitting on the bed, still glaring at the God. The pair stared at one another before Loki stood and moved towards the bed, sitting beside Amara. His gaze was still focused on her, although the smirk had not faded.

"What were you intending to do if i were here to hurt you? Beat me to death with a pillow?" Loki asked, his voice filled with sarcasm, but the smile that appeared on his face took the edge off. Amara shrugged and looked at the pillow in her hands.

"I just grabbed what was closest to me. I could beat you to death with it. That would, however, take a long time. And I'm not the type of person who would do that I don't like killing. "Amara said slowly, as if she were thinking.

The smile faded away and Loki gave the woman a scolding glare.

"Then you must learn to forget about your hatred for killing, as the enemy will not hesitate in killing you. They will use any advantage that they can get, and that includes a softness of your heart" The raven haired god growled. Amara flinched back slightly from the God, however before she could move, Loki grasped her arm with a vice like grip.

"Allowing yourself to relax around me was also a mistake. I am known as the God of Mischief and Lies, as well as the person whom tried to take over your world barely two years ago. I could kill you now, and your team mates would never know you were dead until tomorrow morning" Loki hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Amara took in a deep breath, wishing she could back away from the god. She began to realise just what situation she had put herself in, by allowing the rogue God to sit in her room as she relaxed. She gently pulled her wrist back, out of Lokis grip and rubbed it gently. There were already white, long marks branded on her skin from the Gods hand.

"I may have let you in and relaxed around you, but it doesn't mean I was never being careful. Part of me knew that you were dangerous. But even if I were to stay alert around you, I would never be able to defeat you anyway, considering you are Asgardian, and I'm simply human" Amara said softly, her gaze travelling up to meet Lokis intense emerald glare. The man in front of her tensed at her words, and his gaze turned cold and vicious.

"Do not, call me an Asgardian. I am not one of those. I am not an Odinson, and I am not an Asgardian. I never was." Loki growled. His anger began to spike, but he knew the dangers of taking it out on the girl in front of him. He would need her help at a later date. He vanished from the room, teleporting into his own room and let out a low growl.

A rogue blast of magic shattered the long mirror in the corner of Lokis room as he appeared. He shook his head, trying to clear his anger. After the red haze of anger had faded, he looked over to the shattered mirror and waved his hand, repairing it. He lay back onto his bed as he thought, his eyes closed.

"I need to be more careful. If I wish for her help I cannot act cruel, nor can I act like I normally would." he muttered quietly. He knew that Amara was his ticket out of imprisonment, but he would rather have her on his side than have to force her to join him. Loki let his thoughts wander, his mind relaxing as he drifted off into a deep sleep.


	11. The Director of SHIELD

Director Fury was not a patient man. He didn't like waiting, and he didn't like not knowing things. Meaning when Tony Stark told him about a woman the Avengers found while out fighting, he wanted to meet her as soon as possible.

He let out a sigh and looked at the file in his hands. While he was a very powerful man, and the head of a powerful agency, he never liked bringing people into the problems the world was going through. Especially when they were barely into their twenties and had no experience in fighting.

He scanned through the file for the third time that day, analysing every detail he could find about the young woman in the care of the Avengers.

"Amara Riddle, aged 22. Lived in Norway for fourteen years until her parents divorced and she moved to England with her father. Studied Medicine and Engineering at University. Recently worked as an employee for a business firm in East London. Then she was found by the Avengers, and is now being trained by a God of Mischief that is back on our planet" Phil Coulson said, as he crossed his arms and looked over to the Director who glared at him.

"Why that damned God of Mischief has to be back in our realm I don't know. There is a large list of sorcerers here on Earth, including the Sorcerer Supreme. Why couldn't Stark have called one of them?" Fury growled as he rubbed his forehead. Phil let out a small laugh before answering.

"Apparently Loki gave powers to someone in Amaras family hundreds of years ago. The power apparently only showed in those whom proved worthy of having Lokis power. Loki himself didn't even realise this would happen. He is just as shocked as we are, however, he is probably intrigued by the fact that this happened. Thor said Loki was very selective about who he gave powers to. Especially out of the very few people who were his followers." Phil explained, then looked out of the car window as they pulled up.

Nick let out a sigh as he stepped out of the car and walked into the Avengers Manor. It wasn't that he didn't like visiting the Avengers, It was more that he would rather not spend time with Tony Stark.

"Director Fury, Agent Coulson. Welcome to Avengers Manor. The team, Miss Riddle and Mr Laufeyson are waiting in the living room. However it appears Miss Riddle and Agent Barton are not getting along that well" J.A.R.V.I.S said over the intercom, causing Nick to give Phil an exasperated glance.

"What the hell is your problem!? I haven't done anything to you yet you seem to have had a huge grudge on me when you found out where my powers came from!" Amara shouted as Nick and Phil walked into the room. Phil tried to hold in a snicker as he saw Amara and Clint standing, shouting at each other. Most would have backed down, terrified, if they were shouted at by Agent Barton, and for once, it was funny to see someone going toe to toe with the archer. However, the Agent could also see the problem that the Avengers were now facing, and he didn't miss Loki smirking in the corner.

"Alright. Calm the hell down and shut up. Both of you!" Fury growled as looked between the pair. Amara looked over at the director and shut up immediately, then stepped back towards the God of mischief, who looked far too proud of himself.

"Director. So nice to see you again. And Agent Coulson was it? I thought I had killed you two years ago" Loki said, an amused tone in his voice, and his eyes glinting with mischief. Everyone noticed Phil physically tense up at the mention of his 'death', and it was a few seconds before he replied.

"Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated" Phil said, his voice steady, but no one missed the cold glare he was sending the raven haired God, who merely laughed, an amused smirk on his face.

Clint looked over at Loki, then to the Director, who was gazing at Amara.

"Director. You can't really be sure about these two staying here? Who knows what they are planning?! They could have already planned to murder any of us" Clint said as he glared at Amara. The Director never even had the chance to speak before a loud 'crack' sounded, and the archer stumbled backwards, his eyes widened in surprise. The room was silent as everyone looked towards Amara, who had her had raised, her eyes burning with anger.

"I am getting sick and tired of your accusations! Do you have any idea what I have been through the past few days? I have watched my friends die around me and I have been forced to realise my life will never be the same again! So don't you 'dare' treat me like I am some monster. I looked up to you ever since I heard about your team, but now I see you are just an arrogant arse who doesn't care what anyone else has been through." Amara shouted, her voice breaking slightly. Loki was the first one to move, and pulled Amara away from the archer slowly.

It was only when they were out of the room that Loki looked at the young woman. It was the first time he had ever seen her react in such a way, so he wasn't surprised to see the tears on Amaras face.

"Why does that jerk think he can speak to me like that? What have I ever done to him? I mean, I barely know the guy!" Amara muttered as she wiped at her eyes furiously. She barely got angry enough to shout at someone, but Clints constant accusations had angered her enough to make her lash out.

Loki stayed silent as the young woman ranted, his mind replaying Amaras actions. There was certainly power behind the hit, and the Archer would end up with a large bruise that would be difficult to hide. Amara was a strange woman, one Loki was still trying to understand. Although, he had never been at all good with women, not that any woman ever looked at him, especially when Thor was there.

"Lady Amara. You must learn to control this anger. If you do not, it will control you. Remember, your powers are linked to your emotions, by letting your anger out like that, you could have harmed anyone in that room. Thor and I can heal quickly, as can the super soldier and the Doctor, but the rest of that team cannot" Loki murmured as he stepped towards the young woman, pushing a strand of hair out of her face gently.

"I apologise for my actions last night. Your words angered me, and I should not have taken that out on you" The God whispered slowly, his eyes softening as he gazed at the young sorceress. Amara looked up at the rogue God, and as much as she knew she shouldn't trust him, she found herself speaking before her mind could catch up with her mouth.

"You're forgiven. I shouldn't have mentioned your heritage. Thor told me not to and I was the idiot that brought it up. So I'm the one who should be apologising, not you. But then again, you did hurt my arm so you kind of need to apologise for that, but I also should have been paying attention to the fact that I had a deadly God in my room…" Amara began to say quickly, but stopped when Loki began to laugh. The young woman blushed and gave the God a small, nervous smile and muttered a quick sorry.

Loki was surprised. He had not laughed in that way for years. Yet a woman whom he barely knew could coax a real laugh and smile out of him. The woman confounded him even more, leaving him befuddled by the young womans charm.

Loki watched Amara smile and let out a soft chuckle.

"Come. I believe the Director wanted to speak to you" The raven haired God said with a small smile before taking the young sorceresses arm and leading her back into the living room, hoping all hell wouldn't break loose.


	12. The Talk

Saying that the tension in the room was high was an understatement. After Amara and Loki had re-entered the room, all eyes had turned to Clint. The archer sent a glare towards the pair as they sat down, but stayed quiet. While they had been outside talking, Steve had confronted Clint about what had been said. The soldier had wanted to say more, but Amara and Loki had entered the room, and the look Steve had sent Clint told the archer that he should expect more.

"Right. Now that you are all here I want to talk to you all about recent events. These Chitauri attacks have been growing. And now, we have someone who can help us." Nick said slowly as he gazed around the room at each person. When his gaze landed on Amara, he watched her for a few moments before nodding.

"Miss Riddle. We need you to help us stop these creatures. You think you could put your powers to use and help us? Help this world?" The Director said, his gaze never leaving the young woman as he spoke.

Amara leaned further back into her seat as the Directors gaze focused on her. Being tall already made Nick intimidating enough, which combined with the trench coat and the eye patch, as well as the deep voice, left the young woman nervous and barely able to speak.

"I- I don't know... I mean I'm not a fighter. I don't think I could help… kill. Even if it is those aliens that I would be facing" Amara stammered, her eyes darting across the room, pleading for help from anyone.

Luckily, Natasha was the one to speak, and her comment left everyone unsure of what to say next.

"Director. Amara can barely control her powers. She is going to need weeks, if not months of training before she can control them fully, let alone use them in a fight. She needs proper training, and even with Steve and myself teaching her, it will be a long time before she is capable of being sent out into the field." The red haired assassin explained. She sat with her arms crossed, her face neutral, but her eyes were daring anyone to speak against her. Phil let out a sigh and looked towards the Director, who turned his gaze to the resident doctor.

"Doctor Banner. Is Miss Riddle healthy enough to begin full training, and by that I mean joining you all while you train?" Nick asked the nervous man, who sent Amara a guilty look.

"Yes. She is healthy enough. But Director I-" Bruce began to say but he was cut off.

"Then she trains with you all. Each of you can teach her something different. I don't want to hear another word about it, and I'm giving you one month to get her ready for a mission. Agent Romanoff will keep me updated on Miss Riddles progress. And Agent Barton, Miss Riddle, stop fighting. Otherwise you deal with me." The Director said as he sent the two people a glare.

Clint nodded quickly before looking towards Natasha. He shook his head and sent her a small glare before standing and leaving the room. The rest of the team looked around at each other, not saying a word but seemingly communicating silently.

Nick looked around before nodding and handed Tony a file.

"We need you to look at these. Contact me once the plans are sorted. And get Amara a weapon. God knows she needs one until she can control her powers" The Director said before leaving the room, and heading back outside to the car. Phil sent Amara a small smile and patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry. He's always like that. That's his way of showing you he has some sort of emotions." Phil said, gaining a chuckle from the young sorceress. He quickly followed the Director out of the room, and the tension evaporated from the air as if it had never been there.

"Well. That was fun" Tony said with a smile, earning a few chuckles from his team mates, and even one from the God of Mischief himself. The group began to relax and soon enough, the television was on.

Steve stood up and looked towards Natasha.

"Where will Clint be?" He asked, a steely tone to his voice as he gazed at the red haired assassins, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"Try the roof. That's where he usually goes when he is angry" Natasha said before turning to Amara and trapping her in a conversation about weapons. Steve let out a quiet chuckle at the overwhelmed look on the young sorceresses face before leaving the room and heading up the stairs to the roof. He didn't need to look hard to see the archer leaning against the railing, looking out across the yard.

"If you've come to have a go at me, just get on with it" Clint muttered quietly, just loud enough for Steve to hear. The super soldier frowned and crossed his arms as he moved beside the archer.

"She's just a kid Clint. Stop being so hard on her. She didn't put you under mind control so stop blaming her for it. We are supposed to be the ones people look up to in times of trouble. I know you went through a lot when Loki controlled you, but she doesn't deserve your anger." Steve said quietly, his voice firm yet soft. He placed a hand on the archers shoulder.

"At least try to get along with her?" He asked, and the archer turned his gaze to the soldier. Clint let out a sigh and nodded stiffly before moving away to the doors.

"I'll try. But Steve, I still don't trust her. I'll be keeping an eye on her" The archer said slowly as he opened the door. He looked back at Steve who looked down, his arms crossed. Clint moved into the building and headed towards the training room. He rubbed his jaw and winced slightly as pain shot through the area.

"For someone so small, that girl has a very powerful slap." He muttered with a grunt.

When Tony had told Amara he had someone he wanted her to meet, she didn't think that a few hours later she would have been sitting across from Pepper Potts, drinking tea.

"So Tony tells me you're new to all of this?" Pepper asked as she sipped her tea. Amara gave the woman a hesitant smile and nodded. Pepper then surprised the young woman by moving across and pulling Amara into a gentle hug.

"Oh you poor thing. With everything you've been through you need time to yourself! Not being forced into training to fight those things." The older woman said softly. Amara was unsure of how to react to the hug, but soon found herself returning it. She wasn't used to physical contact but Pepper had a mothering nature. It was why all of the avengers spent time with her.

"I guess I could use some time away from all of this but…"Amara said with a sigh, unsure of what to say next.

"I want to help them. I really do. But I'm not a fighter. Fury said I have a month to train. How is that enough time when I'm not only learning to control my powers, but learning to use weapons and trying to get stronger?"

Peppers heart went out to the woman beside her, and she wanted nothing more than to take Amara somewhere safe. She gave the young sorceress a sad smile and shook her head.

"I know how you feel. When Tony and I got together, he wanted me to be able to protect myself. Juggling that and a multi-billion dollar business becomes very difficult. Fury has put you in a tricky situation, and don't think that I won't be having a word with him about this. Putting so much pressure onto you is ridiculous." Pepper muttered before taking another sip of her tea.

"Now since you'll be living with us, and you don't have anything other than what SHIELD gave you, we will need to get you some new clothes. And Loki will need some new clothes as well. We can't have him wearing that armour and cape all of the time now can we?" the older woman said with a chuckle. She pulled out a tablet and her face scrunched in concentration as she scanned through the information.

"We have time right now. Come on and get ready. If we go now we can beat the rush hour traffic" Pepper said, sending a smile to the young woman before returning to the tablet in her hands.

"Jarvis. Could you please inform Loki to meet myself and Amara in the front room? And tell him to wear some of the clothes that SHIELD brought him." Pepper said nonchalantly, as if organising a shopping trip for a god and a girl with magic was the norm for her. Once she was finished, she placed the tablet onto the table beside the cups. She stood and made her way out of the room, then waited for Amara to catch up before dragging the young woman towards the front doors.


	13. Shopping with a God

"Remind me again why must I accompany you on this absurd trip?" Loki growled as Pepper pushed another shirt into the large pile in the Gods arms. Pepper smiled as she scanned through the shirts in front of her. She threw another shirt to the god, who barely managed to catch it before the red haired woman turned around.

"To get you and Amara out of Clints way. And because you two need clothes that are nicer than what SHIELD gave you both." Pepper said. Amara let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes before looking to Loki, her own arms full of clothes that Pepper had picked out.

"Maybe we can make a run for it when she looks away" Amara whispered, causing Pepper to send her a glare. As the trio began to head to the changing rooms, Pepper began to explain to Loki how the clothes sizes worked. Loki nodded slowly, taking in every word the woman was saying.

He couldn't help but smile at the red haired woman as she spoke. She gave off a mothering nature that reminded him of Frigga. His heart panged slightly as he thought of his mother. While he was the God of Mischief and he was known by many on Midgard as evil, he missed his mother dearly. She had been the only one who had ever listened to him. She had taught him magic, and she was the only reason the he was still partly sane.

He glanced down at the mixture of clothing in his arms and let out a sigh. Most of the items were plain, yet there were the few that were extremely displeasing to his eye. It wasn't until Amara nudged him that he took into account where they were.

"Head in that room. Change into something and come out so Pepper can see how they look. She has better style advice than I do" Amara muttered to the god before heading into the changing room opposite and closing the door.

Loki looked around with interest, his eyes scanning the area. The finery of the room was elegant, although he had expected such considering Pepper had said the Iron Man shopped at the establishment often for casual clothing.

"How can one man take so long to try on clothes?" Amara groaned as she sipped from her bottle of water. Pepper, whose gaze was focused on the tablet in front of her, let out a laugh and looked up at the young woman.

"If you think this is bad, don't ever go shopping with Tony. He is usually in here for hours before he finds anything he likes" Pepper said with a smile. Amara opened her mouth to reply when the door of Lokis changing room clicked and he came out, his pile of clothing split into two piles, and one considerably larger than the other.

"I do not understand how you mortals can desire to wear these things. Although I did pick a few items that were suitable" Loki muttered as a woman collected the clothes he did not want. In his arms were a mixture of silk shirts, and mostly black jeans. The shirts ranged from black to deep green. Pepper smiled and put the tablet back into her bag before standing.

"Then let's go and pay." She said as she began to head towards the checkout. Amara and Loki followed the red haired woman before glancing at each other.

"Enjoying a normal 'Midgardian' day Loki?" Amara asked as she dumped her chosen clothes onto the counter. Loki let out a small huff and raised an eyebrow.

"This is entertaining to some mortals? How can clothing be so entertaining to some?" he asked the curiousness obvious in his voice as he placed his clothes next to Amaras. The young sorceress shrugged before turning to face the God.

"Truthfully, I don't know. Many people find it soothing but I think it's just stressful. When I lived in England, before any of this, I only bought new clothes when I really needed them." Amara explained as the God nodded slowly.

Loki couldn't believe how mortals found clothes shopping soothing. To him it was mostly annoying, and an unnecessary task. He could have easily conjured his clothing, however he decided to humour the two women by allowing them to take him shopping. However, he was now wishing he hadn't. And unfortunately for him, the day was not even nearly over.

"Alright. I have some things that I need to pick up from here, so we can have lunch now or after. Your call" Pepper said as she led the pair out of the shop. Amara though for a moment before looking over at Loki, who was busy staring at the shops surrounding them, clearly confused and overwhelmed.

"Loki won't have a clue about food here. How about That jacket potato shop? It's healthier than anywhere else." Amara explained as she looked back at Pepper, and Loki gave her a relieved nod. He had no clue about eating customs o Midgard, but it would seem he would need to know about them.

Pepper nodded and looked up at the shop Amara was pointing to, then headed inside, the two mages following her quickly.

After a quick meal and a visit to a few more shops to buy other things they would need to survive living with the Avengers, Pepper, Amara, and Loki finally arrived back at Avengers manor, where the two mages collapsed onto the couches, exhausted.

For Amara, it had been a long time since she had done such a large shopping trip for clothes, and for Loki, he had never had to deal with shopping for clothes, as he could conjure them, or before he fell the servants would have brought him new clothes.

Tony glanced over at the pair, and let out a snort as he made his way over to them both, and pulled out two Stark phones. He sat beside Amara and handed one phone to her, and the other to Loki.

"These are in case you need to contact any of us, including Fury and Phil. That goes for both of you. Oh and Amara, Steve asked for you to meet him at five for training." Tony said with a grin. Amara and Loki both looked at the phones in their hands, and immediately began to fiddle with them.

Amara glanced around the training room, wondering where Steve was. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment as she thought of everything that had transpired within the past two weeks. She opened her eyes again and looked down at her hands with a look of disdain filling her eyes. She wished for nothing more than for her life to return to how it used to be. She was so busy thinking of her past, that she didn't notice Steve enter the room, and let out a gasp as she felt herself be pushed against the wall. She looked up, wide eyes at the super soldier, who gave her a small smile.

"You were so busy thinking that you didn't notice me come in. You need to be aware of your surroundings at all times. I'm sorry I had to do that, but I had to prove a point." Steve explained as he let the young woman go.

"Now, are you ready to train?" Steve asked and Amara grinned as she moved into a defensive stance, and their training began.


End file.
